A Systemic Circular Model for innovative sustainable recycling of thermoplastics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv10n1-016Keywords:
circular economy, systemic thinking, innovation, plastic and recycling industry, cultural changeAbstract
Sustainable recovery and recycling of plastics is becoming an increasingly important global issue. Waste from the plastics industry has seen an exponential increase, which is expected to continue in the future. Currently, the majority of the plastic waste generated is discarded and the gap between the amount of plastic waste discarded and incinerated compared to recycled is huge. Closing this gap requires addressing many systemic issues in the value chain through a more holistic, complex systems approach that better understands the different values, norms and behaviours intrinsic in patterns of relations between key stakeholders. Taking a complex systems perspective necessitates the advancement of new innovations and a more circular model for the recycling industry. It highlights specific innovations that provide disruptive ways to design and develop processes and products that go beyond traditional recycling technologies and systems to find new cost-competitive uses for plastic waste streams that are currently too expensive or not convenient to process. The work outlines a circular model for the plastics value chain to support these innovations. On the one hand, it focuses on increasing the level of global awareness and changing the mindset of society to move away from plastics and towards more innovative solutions. And on the other hand, it promotes legislation and financing that motivates companies in the plastics value chain to scale and grow these innovations. Such a circular model will not only ensure more sustainable production and consumption of plastics but provide a paradigm for addressing other global challenges.
References
Bossel, H. (2007). Systems and Models: complexity, dynamics, evolution, sustainability. BoD–Books on Demand Gmbh, Norderstedt, Germany
Casoli, G., & Ramkumar, S. (2020). Plastic Pollution in the Oceans: A Systemic Analysis—Status Quo and Possible Sustainable Solutions. In: Streit-Bianchi M, Cimadevila M, Trettnak W, editors. Mare Plasticum - The Plastic Sea, Cham: Springer International Publishing; p. 221–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38945-1_11.
Doppelt, B., & McDonough, W. (2017). Leading Change Toward Sustainability: A Change-Management Guide for Business, Government and Civil Society. London: 2nd ed. Routledge; https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351278966.
Krakauer, D.C. (2019). Worlds hidden in plain sight. The evolving idea of complexity at the Santa Fe Institute: 1984-2019. SFI Press.
Barr, R. M. (2020). “UBQ: Advanced Waste Conversion & Sustainable Bio-based Materials”. Presentation held at the Fifth International Conference on Reuse and Recycling of Materials [ICRM 2020]. 11th-13th December 2020 at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India.
Seah, K.H. (2020). “Environmental innovation, digital transformation and frontier technologies to tackle plastic pollution”. Parallel Session 05 – In UNEP Sea of Solution. 24th -26th November 2020. Available at http://sos2020.sea-circular.org/
Sharmer, O. (2020). Opening Keynote: “Could this crisis be preparing us for the future?” in ABIS 19th Annual Colloquium “Coming Full Circle? Sustainability and Future-Proof Global Recovery”. 24th-25th November 2020. Bruxelles, Belgium. Available at: https://www.abis-global.org/events/19th-abis-annual-colloquium-2020
Wong S. (2019). “East-West Trade Impasse: trade impacts on circular economies and what business needs to be considered”. In Proceedings of Plasticity Amsterdam. 20th June 2019. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Bossel H. (1997). Finding a comprehensive set of indicators of sustainable development by application of orientation theory. SCOPE-SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON PROBLEMS OF THE ENVIRONMENT. INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC UNIONS; 58: 101–9.
Woodring D., Hyde T., McLennan J (2021). There’s Demand For Recyclate, But Little Supply: Recycled and virgin plastics pricing decouple as global supply gap widens. Plastics Engineering;77:39–41. https://doi.org/10.1002/peng.20451
Bigio, T. (2020, Nov 20). Personal communication [Phone interview]
Bigio, T. (2021, Apr 12). Personal communication [Phone interview]
Tuviah, S. (2020, Dec 3). Personal communication [Phone interview]
Wong, S. (2020, Nov 4). Personal communication [Phone interview]
